When Mike Samilski’s grandma heard he wanted to be an engineer, she was over-the-moon proud. She was a draftsperson in an era when women in construction often struggled, and Mike remembers her working extremely hard to break into the business. “Reach for the stars and do whatever you can to move up,” she told Mike, even while close friends and family questioned his decision. After all, he already had a good job as a draftsperson. If you know Mike, you also know the naysayers spurred him on.
